54. Cause-and-Effect in Spirituality

Krishna says that the intellect of the contented is steady and all their dukh (sorrows) are destroyed (2.65). Firstly, Sorrow is the result of an oscillating intellect, and when the intellect is steady, sorrow disappears. Secondly, this verse runs contrary to our belief that we become content once our desires are fulfilled, once we attain sukh and once dukh is destroyed. But Krishna says we just need to be content first and that the rest will automatically follow.

For example, we conclude that we are not healthy if we have symptoms like fever, aches etc. The suppression of these symptoms won’t make us healthy unless the underlying condition is treated. On the other hand, a nutritious diet, good sleep, fitness regime etc. provide us with good health.

Similarly, bhay (fear), krodh (anger) and dwesh (hatred) are indications of a lack of contentment and their suppression won’t automatically make us content.

Numerous quick fixes are promoted and practiced to suppress these signs in order to project a pleasant personality. But this accumulated suppression comes back subsequently with greater vigour. For example, suppressed anger against the boss is often vented against subordinates or family members.

The path for contentment is to be aware of the polar nature of the world, the awareness about karma (action) without expectation of karma-phal (fruits of action) and awareness that gunas are the real karta (doer) of our actions, thoughts and feelings whereas we are sakshi (witness).

The unmanifested part of us - dehi/atma (soul) is always content. The sorrows are aberrations that arise out of misplaced identification with the manifested, like the illusory snake in the rope-snake analogy.

Krishna elsewhere tells us to be atma-vaan (content with self) and atma-raman (union with self) to indicate this identification with the self which makes us free of sorrow (2.45). It’s neither suppression nor expression of dukh but being able to witness and transcend them.